I know that I have been slow in updating the blog, almost as slow as Jason. I've been busy trying to save the economy. The old Yammie is getting a little tired so I added a new sled to the barn.


Introducing Ski-Doo-Bee-Doo.




From this angle it looks more like a hornet.




I have to go now and break in the new machine. Tough job, but somebody has got to do it.

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY

SUPER NOVA!!

You remind me of a younger, cuter, smarter, and slightly shorter version of me.






A flock of pine grosbeaks have been here for a week or two.




Mrs. Slate and Grasshopper have gone to town AGAIN. This time they are going to pick up some minnows so we can try ice fishing on the weekend. Yesterday we had no temperature, but it's supposed to go to a high in the mid -20's for the next few days. Gotta run, the dryer is done. I know, I ask myself the same question, why, why, why?

Yesterday was Kita's 91'st birthday. What better way for a Husky to celebrate his birthday than to start the day at -40 degrees.




Sorry Kita, you don't get 91 hot dogs.



Yummy!



#1 whiskey jack eating breakfast.



#3 with frost on his head.




It's warm here this morning, a balmy -35. Grasshopper and Mrs. Slate went to town again this morning. No, I don't have to empty the composter yet. I might be full of it, but not that full.

Still quiet on the Little Tomiko. In the next couple of days, they are calling for day time highs of -25c and lows in the 30's. Nice time to be in Jamaica, if that's your cup of rum.

You can see a sun dog, if you squint.



And a full moon dog.



We have had a pair of Hairy woodpeckers hanging around. They are very camera shy, playing peek-a-boo around the tree when you put the camera on them.



That's all the news for now.

P.S. You will notice that the web site counter was reset. Somehow the counter forgot who I was. Too bad, because it was very close to 50,000 and had a very special prize for that visitor. Now I guess we'll have to wait for the 100,000's visitor.

There hasn't been too much to report on lately. It's been quiet on the weather front. (a pun for Tim). I see on the weather that it has been a little crispy in the NWT for baby brother Tim and in the redneck province for nephew Jason.


Grasshopper went off to town this morning. She looks a little faster than normal. Do you think that it is a coincidence that she ALWAYS goes to town when the composting toilet needs to be emptied?



I went to Linda's the other day. Either the wind or snow knocked down the satellite dish pergola over the fire pit.




The lake is in really good shape, so we've been getting around the past few days. On Saturday we dropped in to see Edwin and gave him some VCR tapes. Then we dropped in to Frasertown and visited with Vic and Jane and the Frasers. We ended up staying for supper. Teeny Tiny Tomiko Tina put on a great spread. We may have to start calling her Tomiko Martha.

I guess that I have procrastinated the crappy job long enough, TTYL.

A stormy birthday.

The hurricane winds blew the dock over.







Sideways trees.



The wind threatened to blow the tarp off of the boat.



Drain holes in the lake.



Two inches of water on the ice.



We lost a cedar tree in the back yard. It's hard to tell in this pic, but the wind blew the tree 10 feet away from the stump.

We woke up Christmas morning to a fresh dump of snow, as opposed to the fresh dump of snow the day before, and the day before that....




Super Princess Calliope with her jewelry making kit.



Super Ellia with her tattoo and jewelry kit.



Ellia with her princess back pack.



Super K-man with his radio controlled Hummer.



Super Goddess Athena with her bath play set.



Super Nova with his hot wheels launcher.



I tried to get all five rug rats in one picture, but that was impossible. On the left you can see a wooden fridge that Tomiko Santa made for the Bishop super kids to match the wood kitchen set that they have.



Too cute!



With all the new toys, sometimes it's just more fun to play hide and seek under the chairs.




It is +3 degrees right now and we have had 1/2 inch of rain so far. We are under a heavy rain fall warning with up to 30 mm's expected. We are supposed to go to town tomorrow for a birthday (mine) lunch with the Brown super kids, but I don't know how slushy the lake will get. We might have to delay that a day or two.

You might find it hard to believe, but we will have a white Christmas. We got some more snow over night and they say we might get another 10 - 15 cms today.








That's it for now, busy day getting ready to see all five superkids tomorrow. We hope that you all have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

A nice crisp -30 this sunny morning.


We put in the tree line to Bedrock yesterday. The ice is 12 inches of clear ice. Razor, I would drive YOUR brand new truck on the lake.




A sun dog a few days ago.



I call this shot "A frame in the full moon light of the closest full moon in 15 years".



Just another sun set. I think that this was the only sun we got that day.



No, we are not electing a new BVWSQ. It's a sun set shining through the smoke.

Wild weather. Woke up to a big dump of heavy snow on Sunday. Kita had to jump over the snow bank at the back door to go do his morning business.




Howling winds made for drifting around the shed.



Then the temp went to +7 and two inches of rain, and howling winds.



Then the temp went to - 17, with howling winds, which is a good thing, for making good ice.



Today I'll have to go check out the driveway for fallen trees after all that wind. Tomorrow or the next day I'll walk across the lake to see if it's safe. Gee, it's times like this that I really miss having a millwrong around.

We had a nice sun rise yesterday morning, then it snowed again. Not too much, just a heavy dusting.









At 7:00 this morning the temp was -6, now at 9:30 it is -15. It is supposed to go to -19 by this afternoon. They are calling for plus temps by Monday and rain. YUCK.

Mrs. Slate and Grasshopper have gone to terrorize the townies. The lake isn't safe yet so Grasshopper had to sled around to Bedrock.

That's it for now, I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet of a semisolar day.

Woke up yesterday to another four inches of snow. Both yesterday and this morning, the thermometer was nudging -30c.








Razor, I checked out the ice this morning, just for you. It's about nine inches, with the bottom two inches being good ice. The middle five inches are slushy and the top two inches are firmer slush. If I was you, I'd sled across the lake. But if I was me, (smarter than your average millwrong), I'd wait another week.




They are calling for the temps to rise to the single minuses for the next couple of days. They are also calling for up to another twenty-five Cm's of snow by tomorrow night. I should pack down the trail to the A5 road this afternoon. I think that Grasshopper is feeling the itch for another run to the Dollar store.

The day after the latest Alberta clipper. Thanks Jason! We had some wind with this one.













The snow is deeper than a Husky is tall.



Last night we had an ice fog.












Just heard that they are calling for another 5cm's of snow tonight and another 5 tomorrow. Can you ever be too happy?